


The man is the Monster

by Newagenewbarricade



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Confessions, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, fantasy!au, vampire!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:35:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26369614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Newagenewbarricade/pseuds/Newagenewbarricade
Summary: He dropped to his knees and nearly ripped his shirt open in his hurry to untie it, revealing a long thin scar, likely from a stinger, and two precise fang marks over his heart.“Just get it over with and kill me already! I’m begging you just, just don’t tell the girls what I am, please.” Qrow stared up at him with those eyes that were so full of beauty and still so full of pain.What do you do when you hunt monsters, but the man you love is one as well?
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Comments: 7
Kudos: 26





	The man is the Monster

**Author's Note:**

  * For [StoryWeaverKirea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StoryWeaverKirea/gifts).



Atlas was a good change of pace after Haven and Beacon, Qrow had even managed to spend time with someone around his own age for a change! Not that he didn’t love his ragtag group of kids, but it was nice to talk to someone with a bit more life experience now and again. The Ace-ops were an elite huntsmen guild, and their leader Clover Ebi had been kind enough to welcome the dusty old bird’s help with open arms. They got along well,  _ really  _ well if Qrow was being completely honest with himself, which he rarely was. Qrow really liked Clover, whether or not the other man’s flirtations were serious or not he’d managed to get Qrow’s heart twitterpated all the same. So when Clover invited him out for a dinner at the local tavern, he found it downright impossible to refuse.

They were seated in a fairly private corner, Clover and Qrow had a pair of non-alcoholic ciders on the table.

“Qrow, I’ve wanted to say something for well, quite a while now if we’re being honest.” Clover glanced down, bashful. The low candlelight casting a warm glow on his downturned eyes. Qrow swallowed, this wasn’t going to be easy,

“Clover wait before, before you say something you can’t take back I- I haven’t been completely honest with you.” 

“Is everything okay Qrow?” Clover furrowed his brows in concern. Damnit why did he have to look so  _ genuine _ when Qrow knew he was going to hate his guts in half a second?

“I’m, I’m a vampire.” 

“What?” It came out sounding so soft as if Clover was unsure he’d heard him right.

“I was turned on a hunt, damn bastard nearly killed me.” He couldn’t meet Clover’s eyes, not when he  _ knew  _ there would be nothing but ire in them, “Sometimes I wish he had.”

“Qrow…”

“But, my last act as a  _ human _ was protecting Ruby, and that- that’s worth  _ any  _ price…” He reached towards Clover. Clover raised a hand to his throat protectively. Qrow winced,

“I’ve  _ never _ drunk anyone’s blood. It’s, it’s part of why my alcoholism was so bad before I got here. If I was too drunk to walk I was too drunk to think about draining someone dry right?” He chuckled, his voice and eyes watery.

“Qrow I-” Clover began.

“I’m sorry Clover.” Qrow got up and ran out of the tavern like his life depended on it, his cape billowing behind him as he vanished.

Clover started to get up but sank back into his chair in defeat as his partner fled.

“Well shit,” he muttered. He stared at his drink and took a long sip. He heard the distinct sound of Elm’s footsteps approaching him. A heavy hand clapped him on the shoulder,

“So, I’m guessing it didn’t go over well?” Elm asked.

Clover simply shook his head,

“Any idea why?”

“Qrow is a vampire,” Clover said, still trying to wrap his mind around the whole thing.

“Well, that does make sense, red eyes, pasty skin, and all that…” Elm said.

“Isn’t that a  _ little  _ stereotypical Elm?” A bit surprised at how amenable Elm seemed to the idea.

“I don’t know captain, you’re the one fucking the vampire twink.”

Clover choked on his drink, “ _ ELM!” _

“In my defense Captain, you two haven’t exactly been  _ subtle  _ about it.”

“ _ Nothing  _ of a romantic or sexual nature has happened between myself and Qrow!” As much as he had  _ hoped  _ tonight was going to be the night that changed, it was looking more and more likely that he’d never see the man again at this rate.

“Good, now are you going to mope around here all night or are we going out there and killing him?” Hare asked.

“ _ No one _ is killing Qrow Branwen, is that understood?”

“Why not? He’s been in the city for months now, maybe the whole “loose serial killer” thing was a ruse to cast suspicion off him.” Hare crossed her arms, leaning on the edge of the table.

“He said he’s never hurt someone and I  _ believe  _ him.”

“Because he’s been  _ so  _ honest with us so far?”

“He’s  _ my  _ partner Bree, not yours.” Clover scowled.

“Still, I’d say him running out of here like a bat out of hell is a bit indicative of his character.”

“That’s  _ enough  _ Bree.” Clover snapped.

“Don’t get mad at  _ me  _ because you fell for a monster’s wiles.”

“I said that’s enough!” Clover rose out of his seat, “Qrow is no monster.”

“He’s a vampire, captain,” Elm said gently, “It’s our  _ job _ to hunt things like him.”

“Then maybe our job has too narrow a definition of  _ human. _ ” He started walking away

“Where are you going?”  
“I’m going after him.”

“Captain, you’re making a mistake,” Hare said through gritted teeth.

“I don’t give a damn what you think about this Bree. I know where I should be, and that’s with  _ him _ .”

“You walk out that door and you’re deserting Captain.”

“Guess I’m deserting then,” Clover said as he strode out of the tavern, his head held high. 

He retraced Qrow’s steps as best he could. Qrow  _ had  _ grown up in a nomadic tribe  _ and  _ was a spy for most of his adult life, he was probably better at avoiding detection than the average man. Luckily, he’d only had a few minutes headstart and Clover was a good tracker. He stepped over a fallen tree and saw Qrow catching his breath in a small clearing.

Qrow looked over his shoulder at Clover, it was clear he had been crying. He dropped to his knees and nearly ripped his shirt open in his hurry to untie it, revealing a long thin scar, likely from a stinger, and two precise fang marks over his heart.

“Just get it over with and kill me already! I’m begging you just, just don’t tell the girls what I am,  _ please _ .” Qrow stared up at him with those eyes that were so full of beauty and still so full of  _ pain.  _ Clover shook his head ever so slightly,

“I’m not here to  _ kill  _ you Qrow,” He started.

“Then why  _ are _ you here?” Qrow looked at him in confusion.

Clover dropped to one knee, holding Qrow’s face tenderly in his hands, “I’m here  _ for  _ you.”

“What? Clover, you’re a  _ monster hunter  _ and I’m a  _ monster _ it’s your job to kill things like me!”

“You’re not a _thing_ , Qrow.” Clover frowned, “And you’d sooner see a sandstorm in Solitas before I’d ever raise a hand to the man I love.”

Qrow let out a choked sob,

“Clover you can’t- you _can’t_ love me. I don’t even have a _heart_ anymore.” He traced the bite marks on his chest, “ _He_ took that away from me...”

Clover trailed his hand down Qrow’s body, coming to rest on his chest. Vampires had slower heartbeats than humans, usually fainter as well. Clover felt the soft thumping in Qrow’s chest.

“Your heart is still here, maybe a bit harder to find, but its there all the same.”

Qrow pulled Clover into him, holding onto the other man with all he could, shaking as he cried into the huntsman’s shoulder. Clover rubbed his back, shushing him softly,

“It’s okay Qrow, everything is going to be okay.”

Qrow looked up at him, eyes shining like black cherries,

“You mean that, don’t you?”

Clover kissed him, hoping Qrow could _feel_ how much he adored the other man,

“I do, I really do. It’s going to be okay Qrow, I’ve got you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Qrow kissed him back and for the first time since he’d been turned, had hope for the future,

"I love you."

**Author's Note:**

> This was a Super fun fic for the SDM gift exchange in the FG server, hope you liked it Kirea <3


End file.
